And Trump does need to do something. The Presidential Poll Tracker currently shows him behind by more than three points in the popular vote and his electoral college ceiling no higher than 275 — just barely above the 270 votes needed to win the White House.

But his performance on Sunday will not only be judged by voters. The media plays a large role in setting the terms of how a debate performance is interpreted, partly through the lens of polls of debate-watchers. So what’s more important: the debate itself, or the aftermath?

Joining podcast host Éric Grenier to discuss the upcoming debate and the role of the media and polls on the U.S. presidential campaign is Matthew Yglesias, co-founder of Vox.